Sailor Moon: Inheritance
by daypeony
Summary: The shitennou have re-appeared-but something is different. They claim not to know who the scouts are when battling, and Usagi and the others recognize the generals in seemingly innocent human forms at school and the arcade by day. A Sailor Earth appears and refuses to talk with the others, much less work with them. The inners are determined to save their former loves this time.
1. Prologue

A/N (12/26/16): This is my first Sailor Moon fanfiction in over a decade. It's set a year and a half after the events in Sailor Stars, when the scouts are starting their last year of high school. I know that everyone has their own preferences with the English/Japanese names and use of Japanese phrases and that sort of thing. I am going with what is comfortable for me-Japanese names and probably very little in the way of additional Japanese for the ease of readers.

I would love feedback on this story as I publish the chapters. I have written quite a bit of it already (the prologue and 13 chapters), and it would be great to hear your theories and any ideas you might have. My plan is to publish a chapter about every week.

* * *

 ** _Six Months Ago_**

The park was almost empty. Sayuri walked along the pathway just like she had for the past year on every morning she had been able to get out of the house early enough to enjoy a solitary walk. She wouldn't have to keep an eye on the time today, since it was a day off from school. She hugged herself tight as protection against the February cold.

A pair holding hands walked near her, their whispered voices, full of affection, made her feel even more isolated among the snowflakes.

She hadn't always been like this. Up until a year ago she had found it easy to make friends. She'd been decently popular, too. But after that night when she'd woken up in a cold sweat she'd been knocked off balance. It was almost like the wires of her mind had been crossed and tangled. School was harder, her brain slow to understand the new information her teachers put on the board.

Her attention was disrupted in other ways, too. Her friends noticed it. That, and the fact that she sometimes gave into a crippling grip of anxiety that she'd never before experienced. Sayuri didn't remember being a paranoid person before that night, but now she was slow to trust and quick to reject others.

So, over the past year her life has morphed into something entirely different. Sayuri didn't even know what she wanted to do with her life anymore. She couldn't get over the feeling that she had already failed so much that she had sealed her fate as a failure. What, exactly, she'd failed was beyond her. But in the end it didn't matter to her. She felt the regret so completely that she didn't question it.

Sayuri reached the edge of the lake. There was a railing that reached her waist. She leaned against it, peering into the still water. The snowflakes that fell to it were gobbled up by the warmer water and disappeared instantly. She wished that she could do the same. She wanted to just slip over the railing and have her whole body vanish under the surface. Her parents complained that they didn't know what to do with her anymore. She supposed she shouldn't blame them. Not when she didn't know what to do about herself.

"You look lonely," said a quiet voice. Sayuri froze. She hadn't heard anyone on the path behind her, and the breaking of the silence unnerved her. It took her a moment to relax enough to see who it was who was speaking to her, but when she looked behind her she only saw an orange and white striped cat.

"How funny," she said, frowning. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her. She stared at the cat for a moment and then went back to watching the lake. What would a cat know, anyway?

"Don't you feel lonely?" said the same voice, a woman's voice. Sayuri turned around faster this time-but it was still just the cat. The cat was staring at her with an expectant sort of look on it's face. "Well?" the cat said. And it was the cat, there was no mistake about it. Sayuri didn't understand how this was happening. Perhaps it was a dream. But the cat was opening it's mouth and the words were forming on the feline lips just as they would on a human.

"You can't talk," she said.

"I can," said the cat. It walked a few steps to her. Sayuri realized that there was a white crescent moon shape on it's forehead. "My name is Dysis. I know who you are. You are Sayuri."

"Yes," said Sayuri, pressing her back against the railing. "But... How do you..."

"Because I have been looking for you," said the cat. "I've been looking for a very long time, for thousands of years. I had begun to think that I would never find you, but after your star seed returned to you I finally was able to narrow down my search. And now, here you are. Finally."

"Star seed? What? Why were you looking for me?"

"There will be plenty of time to explain," said Dysis. "I would rather we go somewhere warmer to talk, as there is much you have to learn. I simply ask that you trust me."

"Trust a talking cat?" said Sayuri, incredulously. She pressed a palm to her forehead. This could not be happening.

"It's the only way you'll know what's happening to you," said Dysis. "You've changed, haven't you? You're no longer the same person you once were. I imagine you're still struggling to find balance within yourself..."

Sayuri stared at the cat. Dysis looked pleased with herself and nodded at Sayuri once before heading out down the path in the direction that Sayuri had come from. Sayuri hesitated for only a moment before following the cat.


	2. Chapter 1

Her parents had extended their vacation in Yufuin for another week. Usagi had had to sneak to get in calls to Mamo, but at least she had had the opportunity to tell him all about the fun that she was having at the hot springs and all the different ways she had found to annoy Shingo. She had played it all up as though she were having the time of her life, but she had missed her friends, Mamo, and Luna too.

Saving the world, the future, the universe, and even the galaxy brought people together in ways that could not be undone. Even so, Usagi felt that as she was heading into her last year of high school that her friends might continue to split apart from her little by little as they moved toward fulfilling all their dreams.

"Usagi," came a quiet voice. Usagi felt a paw at her hand, alerting her from staring up at her ceiling. "It's your first day at school. You don't want to be late."

"I know, I know," she said, sitting up. Her copious amounts of blonde hair hid Luna from view until she pulled the locks out of her way. "I just wish it was still summer. At least this is my last year of school." Usagi slipped off her bed and started rummaging around for her school uniform.

"You still don't think you'll go to university?" asked Luna. Usagi looked over her shoulder and grinned at the purple cat.

"No one would take me," she said. "Besides, I don't even know what I would study." It was another thing that made her feel disconnected from her friends. They all seemed to have a purpose in life, goals that they wanted to meet. She dreamed of marrying Mamo, but she didn't know what else there was that she could accomplish in this world before she became Neo-Queen Serenity. Usagi wasn't sure when that was supposed to happen, and how long she would be just an average young woman in regular Tokyo.

She looked at her clock and gasped, sitting on her bed to yank her socks up and finish getting dressed. Her mother was calling for her downstairs. Usagi grabbed her bag and took the steps two at a time. Her mother held out the lunch box, wrapped in a bright pink handkerchief with big hearts stitched in. It was new, and she new that her mom was trying to celebrate Usagi heading into her last year of school in a small way at least.

"Thanks, Mom," she said, kissing her mom on the cheek before dashing out the door, Luna at her side. She realized too late that she had forgotten to grab some toast, but if she moved fast enough she'd be able to get something out of one of the vending machines. "You said the girls aren't going to meet me partway?" she asked Luna.

Usagi's family had returned from Yufuin yesterday afternoon, with just barely enough time for Usagi and Shingo to get ready for the start of the new year. Usagi's parents had kept her phone from her-They knew well enough that she'd just spend the entire time texting her friends (and Mamo, but they still didn't know about him) and playing the plethora of games that her device had. It had been aggrivating at first, but then after a few days at the hot spring Usagi had started to relax in a way that she hadn't since the fateful day in middle school when she'd first met Luna. It had been a year and a half since she'd defeated Galaxia. No other enemies had shown up, although there had been a few leads that the scouts had checked before realizing that they were nothing that the police couldn't handle. It wasn't that the scouts weren't willing to perform justice in all areas, but Luna and Artemis were quick to remind them that Queen Serenity had wanted them to live out normal lives on Earth.

So, Usagi thought, perhaps they had dealt with all of the enemies that would try to go after them before they created Crystal Tokyo. As she jogged down the street towards school she saw a bin of stuffed toys, little keychains. A flash of yellow, red, and blue caught her eye and she paused. There were little Sailor Moons, Sailor Vs, and the other scouts represented in this bin-a discount bin. Usagi ran a hand over one of the Sailor Moon's buns and bit back a laugh. It had been so long since they'd needed to save anyone that nobody even really cared about them anymore. Long ago she'd wante to be famous, but now she was just glad that she and all her friends could slip back into the fabric of the normal world for the time that they had left.

"Usagi," said Luna. She sounded a little nervous, which Usagi took to mean that Luna was worried about the time.

"Alright, alright," said Usagi. Her school wasn't too far ahead. As she got closer and closer she picked up pace. She had missed her friends very much over the past two weeks. She was ready to grab hold of them as soon as she went through the gates-except Rei, of course, but that could come after school.

"Usagi!" cried Minako as Usagi passed through the gate to the school. The others-Ami and Mako, waved. The two blondes threw themselves at each other, both giving a little shriek as they embraced. "We made it to our last year! We might even graduate."

"Minako..." said Ami, looking a little bemused. "You shouldn't talk as though it isn't a certain thing. You need to apply yourself and then you won't have any problems."

"Yeah, yeah," said Minako. "As they say, apples can fly from trees."

"No," said Mako, laughing. "No one says that."

Ami shook her head violently. "The saying is apples don't fall far from the tree-and it really doesn't apply..."

"Did you miss me?" Usagi asked. She didn't care about apples. She reached for Mako and Ami's hands while Minako had an arm around Usagi's waist. She'd missed being enveloped in her friends' attention. "I wish my mom hadn't taken away my phone... Did I miss anything exciting?"

The girls looked at each other briefly. Usagi blinked and squeezed Ami and Mako's hands. "Well?" she said. "What did I miss?"

"There's been some... Developments," said Mako. She let go of Usagi's hand and brushed her fingers through her long ponytail. "Come on," she said. "We're going to be late if we just stand here. The bell will ring soon."

"What kind of developments?" Usagi asked.

"We really will tell you as soon as we can," Ami promised. She glanced at Minako who nodded and grabbed Usagi's hand again.

"Come on!" Minako said. "If we beat Ami and Mako to the classroom I'll buy you a drink at Crown later!" Usagi tried to resist her friend, wanting to know what it was that they were all being so serious about, but Minako was stronger than she looked and Usagi had a feeling she wasn't going to be able to hold back.

"Okay, okay, okay," said Usagi, starting to rush forward with Minako. "But I want the biggest, most expensive milkshake there is." Minako laughed and rushed Usagi forward, so quickly that she didn't seem to be paying attention to what was going on around them. "Minako!" cried Usagi, trying to stop their movement as two young men stepped in front of them. Minako managed to avoid them by letting go of Usagi's hand, but Usagi fell full into one of the young men. He had long reddish-blonde hair and an aristocratic look. She immediately started giving a little bow of apology, thankful that she hadn't run into him hard enough to knock him over and send them both flying over the pavement.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "Please forgive me. Are you okay?" She looked up at the young man and felt a twinge. It must have been from nearly falling, she thought.

"I'm fine," he said. He looked at his friend who had short cropped blonde hair. Usagi couldn't remember seeing them before, but it was a large school after all. "Are you all right?"

Usagi nodded. "We're just in a hurry. I... Want a milkshake."

The young men blinked at each other. "A milkshake?" said the longer haired young man.

Minako let out a loud, awkward laugh. "Sorry, sorry," she said, tugging Usagi along with her back toward the school's entrance. "Just ignore her-She's not ready for the school year to start." She yanked Usagi away from the boys, hurrying forward until they were far enough away for the boys to not be able to hear them. "Honestly, Usagi..."

"You were the one who was pulling me," said Usagi. Throngs of students swept them in the wave of pre-bell traffic. She wondered why Minako was so insistent to get her to their homeroom so quickly. Minako had always been just as tardy as she had been.

"Did you hear about Sailor Earth?"

Usagi had just barely caught the words from a cluster of girls before she felt Minako tug her harder. "Wait," she said, trying to turn. "Minako, wait," she said, trying to slow her friend down.

"Milkshake, Usagi," said Minako, but Usagi could hear an edge of desperation in her voice.

"Minako, did you hear what they said? I could have sworn they said Sailor Earth."

"Don't be silly, why would they say that?" Minako's eyes shifted around the hallway as she pushed Usagi into their homeroom classroom.

"Yeah, she was over by the Crown Arcade," a young man was saying in the back of the room. "There was another monster who went after these students from Rikkyo University. Someone caught some video of it on their phone. Look it up."

Usagi looked at Minako. Her friend looked more than a little guilty. "There's a Sailor Earth? Since when?"

"She appeared while you were gone. We couldn't get in touch with you and, even if we could have, we wanted to gather more information before we worried you when you couldn't have come back."

Noise from someone's phone sounded through the homeroom. There was the unmistakable sound of battle. Usagi slipped through the rows of desks to reach the crowd of students around a cellphone. The video quality was poor, and it was impossible to make out any distinct voices or words, but Usagi felt a strong sense of familiarity as she saw the flashing lights and the boom.

"Do you think she knows Sailor Moon?" asked one of the girls in the group.

"No idea," said one of the boys. He adjusted his glasses and peered closer at the phone's screen. "I hope I'll see her in action."

"You'd probably be shot down," said one of his friends, elbowing him. There were little, awkward laughs among the cluster of students. Usagi stepped away from them, her brow puckered. When she turned to face Minako she saw that Ami and Mako had taken their seats.

"We were going to tell you at lunch," said Mako.

"Or after school," said Ami. "I didn't want it to interfere with your studies if we could prevent it."

The last bell rang and everyone took their seats before their homeroom teacher stepped into the classroom.

"Welcome back," he said. "This is your last year of high school and I hope that all of you will do your very best to prepare yourself for your life ahead of you. This will be a year of difficult examinations and applications and you must do your hardest." He glanced at a piece of paper. "We have three transfer students this year." Usagi glanced at the doorway. She could see the edge of a skirt at the door.

"Sayuri Nakahara," said the teacher. He gestured for the young woman to come in. She had waist length dark hair that ended in thick curls. She wore thin, wire-framed glasses and looked shy. Sayuri bobbed her head, her cheeks flushed.

"Why don't you tell us something about yourself?" asked the teacher. "Were you in any clubs at your previous school?"

"I was in cooking club," said Sayuri. She pushed her glasses up over her nose, but she still seemed unable to look up from the floor.

"I think we have some students in here who are in the cooking club," said the teacher. Mako sat up straighter and gave the new student a smile, but Sayuri seemed too nervous to even recognize the offer of friendship.

"We also have two young men who have transferred here," said the teacher. "These are Shoji and Teiji Ikedi. They are cousins who have moved here from Shizuoka."

Usagi's eyes widened. It was the two boys that she had almost-well, not almost-collided with on her way into the classroom. The reddish haired boy gave her an amused sort of look, but the blonde didn't seem interested in giving her much attention at all.

Usagi saw Ami sit up straighter in her seat. She wondered if Ami knew their names-Maybe one or both of them were top students. Ami always seemed to know who was at the top of the rankings for Japan's students. She didn't watch the blue haired girl for long. She was too busy wanting to hear more about these young men.

"Were you in any clubs at your old school?" asked the teacher. The two of them both seemed to hesitate, as if they hadn't expected to be asked any questions. The blonde boy looked at the red haired one and abruptly went to sit at a desk in front of Ami. The whole class watched him go, and the teacher's face, when Usagi looked back at him, showed his displeasure.

"I played soccer," said the red haired boy. He nodded at the teacher. "May I sit down?"

"Yes," said the teacher. "Why don't you sit there?" he pointed at a seat new the window. "And Sayuri, you may sit there," he said, pointing at an empty desk next to Mako. The girls all exchanged looks as Sayuri shuffled to sit next to Mako and the young man walked past them.

"Hi," said Mako. "I'm Makoto Kino. I'm in cooking club too. You should join us, we're going to meet tomorrow."

"Really?" said Sayuri. Her face flushed and she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose again. "Oh, thank you."

"Not at all," said Mako.

"Hey, hey," said Usagi, turning to see Sayuri. "Hi, Sayuri-I'm Usagi Tsu-"

"Usagi Tsukino," said the teacher, finishing Usagi's introduction even though she wished he hadn't. "We're beginning class now. I hope you have studied over the break."

"Yes, teacher," said Usagi, sinking down into her chair a little. She'd told Ami she'd studied, but she had been lying to her just like she was lying to her teacher now.

The class went underway, but try as Usagi might she couldn't help but think of the sounds of battle that had blasted through the speakers of the phone. Who was Sailor Earth?

And was there a new enemy?

She thought of the little dolls in the bin that she'd passed. That was supposed to be an omen that things were good and safe, not that trouble would soon be brewing.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: After a long period of craziness in my life I am finally returning to updating my fics. I already have about 10 chapters (20k+ words) written for this fic that have yet to be posted. I'd love to hear from my readers as I finally start offering you this little labor of love :)

* * *

Usagi did her best to pay attention, but the truth was that even in the best of circumstances she had a difficult time staying focused on school. She kept thinking about her lunch and wondering what her mother had packed for her. And, of course, what Mako had packed for herself. She doodled on the margins of her paper during English class, little sketches of stars and comets. There couldn't be a Sailor Earth. Mamo would have known. She'd have known from her past life, wouldn't she? And Luna and Artemis, surely.

When it was time for the class to leave for their lunches, Usagi was about to invite Sayuri to come with them when Minako grabbed her arm. She nodded toward the door. "Maybe tomorrow," she said, knowing full well what Usagi would be thinking. "We have to talk."

"Good," said Usagi. "I want answers."

"And we'll give them to you," said Ami.

The girls made their way to the patch of grass that had been 'theirs' over the past year. No one ever seemed to bother them there. Mako leaned against the shade tree while she unpacked her lunch. Usagi made sure to sit next to Mako, even though she wanted to hear about this Sailor Earth even more than she wanted to try Mako's lunch.

"So," Usagi said. "Who is Sailor Earth? Is she an ally?"

"We don't know," said Ami.

"Enemy?" asked Usagi.

"We don't know that either," said Minako. "She's just shown up the past week. We haven't been able to find her before she's left a scene. There have only been eyewitness reports and that cellphone footage of her that you saw. They say she's a guardian in a sailor suit like we are, but no one else knows anything else about her."

"Not even Luna or Artemis?" said Usagi. She frowned. "Luna should have told me about this last night."

"We didn't want to worry you," said Ami. "It's been awhile since we've had to face anything like this. We're really hoping that this is some sort of bizarre coincidence or copycat sort of thing so that we can move past it quickly."

"Does Mamo know?" Usagi felt like all she had were questions, but sometimes she felt like she had to depend on her friends for all sorts of answers. She wished that she could be the one giving the answers, but her friends had kept her in the dark for as long as they could instead of trying to keep her up to date.

"Yes," said Mako. Usagi sighed and hugged her knees. Mako held out a rice ball for Usagi. She hesitated for just a second before taking it. "We're going to figure this out. We've figured out everything else, haven't we?"

"I know," said Usagi. "It's just that all of you have been so happy without having to worry about all of these things. Ami, I know you've been studying so hard for the national examination, and you too Mako—And you've been working part time now at a bakery." The girls nodded. "And you, Minako… When is your next audition?"

"Next Saturday," said Minako. She shrugged, acting as though it didn't bother her. But Usagi knew what a big deal all of this was. Minako was finally getting the attention that all the girls knew she had always deserved. She was so close to getting a contract with an agent and working towards her debut. "We'll figure it out. Who knows? We might have even taken care of this whole business by then."

"Yeah," said Usagi, even though she wasn't convinced.

"Rei thinks that we ought to stake out the area tonight," said Mako. "The attacks have been happening, bizzarely enough, around the Crown Arcade. We think that if we can split up and use our communicators that we will be able to find out more information about who Sailor Earth is and who the enemy is—And if they're one and the same. Ami was saying… Ami?"

The girls looked at Ami who was glancing off to the side. She had a faraway look in her eyes. Usagi leaned over to clasp her friend's hand. "Ami?" she said. "Are you okay?"

"Oh," said Ami. She blushed. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. What were you saying, Mako?"

"Just that you are hoping to use your goggles to get more information on this supposed Sailor Earth. It'll be good to see if she has a makeup similar to what our enemies have had."

"What have the enemies been like?" asked Usagi.

"They take over the bodies of young people and turn into super strong monsters with weird mutations—They appear a lot like the other enemies we've faced. These just look more streamlined than the others. They're almost like a mutated army. Their weapons seem to absorb energy. But that's not all…" said Ami.

"There have been reports of people missing," said Minako. "One of the people who was saved by Sailor Earth had been walking with a friend and the friend vanished. They still haven't been able to find them. There are other reports of missing teenagers, but no one is certain if they have to do with this new enemy and Sailor Earth or not."

"Okay," said Usagi, nodding thoughtfully before taking a big bite of Mako's rice ball. "We'll go to Crown after classes." It might have been a little difficult for her friends to understand her through her full mouth, but they nodded, seemingly getting the picture.

* * *

Usagi rinsed her hands off in the bathroom sink. Two girls from her year, but another class, giggled as they came into the bathroom. "I think Shoji is cuter," one of the girls said.

"No way," said the other "Teiji, definitely."

Usagi grabbed her bag and started down the hallway as the girls continued to be debate the merits of the new students. Neither of them compared to Mamo at all, so she didn't really care which one the girls thought was cuter. It was just about time for their last class of the day, and Usagi found it hard to walk swiftly back to the classroom. But, as she neared the end of the hallway, she saw Ami standing with her back against a wall and looking up at the ceiling.

"Ami?" she said. It wasn't like Ami to be staring off into space like that, and Usagi could remember her looking like that during lunch. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

Ami's eyes widened and she reached out to grab Usagi's hand. "No, no," she said. "I'm fine. I just wanted to… Wait for you."

"Aw, Ami," said Usagi. "You're too sweet! Oh, Minako!" she waved as the blonde headed toward them from the other side of the hallway.

"Mako," said Ami, nodding. Usagi glanced and saw that Mako was indeed coming from where she had been. It was odd to see her friends so spread out during the short break. "We had better go inside. We don't want the teacher to see us loitering around the hallway." The other girls nodded and urged Usagi in. She took her seat, craning her neck to get a good look at the new student, Sayuri.

"Hey, hey," she said, trying—and failing—to whisper quietly. "How are you? My name is Usagi Tsukino. Are you having a good first day?" She beamed at the new girl. Sayuri blushed, just as she had when Mako had tried to make friends with her.

"Yes, everyone is very nice," she said. "I hope that I will have a good year here."

"It must be hard to transfer to a new school for your last year of high school," said Usagi. She shook her head. She had never had to transfer to a new school except when she changed grades. It was nice, she'd been able to keep many of her childhood friends that way. "Let me know if you need anything, okay? Unless you need help with homework, then ask Ami, okay?" she pointed at the blue-haired girl. Sayuri smiled and nodded.

* * *

They were on their way to the arcade when Luna and Artemis joined them.

"Hey, Luna," said Usagi. "Why didn't you tell me any of this last night?"

"Because you just wanted to sleep," said Luna. "Not as though that isn't all that you did on your vacation anyway."

"Don't be too hard on her," came a familiar voice. Usagi turned and saw Rei smirking at them as she walked forward, her long dark hair swaying behind her. "It's a good thing she got some rest. I have a feeling she's going to need to be rested up now that a new enemy has appeared."

"Did you divine anything last night?" asked Mako. Rei nodded.

"I am sensing an evil aura. It's not like anything we've seen before. There is a fog that covers the truth of what is happening and I cannot determine what must be done to uncover that which is still hidden."

Minako patted Rei on the back. "We'll figure it out soon," she said. "Now that all five of us are here we're certain to figure out what is going on."

"Unless nothing happens today," said Artemis.

"Something will," said Mako. "I can feel it in the wind…" The girls all looked up at the sky where the clouds were gathering. They headed into the cafe above the arcade just as the rain started to fall. Usagi leaned against the broad glass window, ignoring the milkshake that her friends had bought her. Colorful umbrellas made for a rainbow in the midst of all the rain.

"How was your vacation, Usagi?" asked Rei. She poked at the ice cubes in her green tea. "Did you do any training?"

"No," said Usagi, making a face.

"So Luna was right," said Rei with a smile. "You did just sleep."

"And go in the hot springs. And take walks… Thought about stuff?"

"Like what?" asked Ami, her voice much more gentle than the others.

"The future, I guess," said Usagi. She peered back at her milkshake and took a tentative sip. "What everyone is going to be doing next year."

"I'm just worried about getting into a good school," said Ami, brushing back some of her bangs with a concerned look. "I'm not saying that I don't want to be here to help fight against a new enemy, but I had hoped to have more time for my studies."

"Ami," laughed Minako. "You're going to do great. I thought schools are already begging you to apply."

"Well," said Ami, blushing a little. "They could change their mind. It happens."

"I'll be in school too," said Mako. "I just need to decide what I'm going to do… I could study business and open up a florist shop or a bakery… Or become a primary school teacher…" She looked wistful.

"I'll be performing," said Minako, tapping her spoon on the table. Before holding it up to her mouth as though she were going to start singing. Artemis batted it away from her mouth and she scowled at him.

"Grandfather wants to retire soon," said Rei. Usagi couldn't tell if Rei saw that as a positive or negative thing. She knew that Rei wanted to continue working at the shrine and eventually run it, but Rei, like Mako, had always seemed like she was good at so many things.

"What about you, Usagi? What did you think about for yourself?" asked Luna.

Usagi laughed and scratched the back of her head. "I don't know," she said. "Too many options, I guess…"

It was definitely more a question of the opposite, but her friends had such bright futures and so many great things ahead of them. She knew she did, too. She'd seen the future that she, Mamo, and her friends would create. But that felt like an eternity away.

Luna patted Usagi's hand. "One day at a time, Usagi," she said, as though she knew was going through Usagi's mind. "Right now it's time for all of you to get ready to go on patrol."


	4. Chapter 3

Mako and Usagi slipped through an alleyway, rain thundering against Mako's yellow umbrella. There had been some discussion about the girls transforming prior to doing their staking out in case something happened, but in the end it was Usagi's huge Eternal Sailor Moon wings that made them decide against it. Mako and Usagi were still in their school uniforms but since they were obviously sulking around they probably looked far more suspicious than they thought they did.

"Do you think there really could be a Sailor Earth?" Usagi asked Mako as they glanced down a street near the arcade. Everything seemed to be fine. The rain hadn't lightened up since they had left the cafe. The foot traffic in the area had slowed some, certainly because of the rain and perhaps also because of the rumors that monsters were showing up in this area.

"Maybe," said Mako. "All the rest of us are protected by a planet. It just seems weird that Queen Serenity never mentioned her and that Mamoru, Prince Endymion, doesn't know anything about her. You would think that he would, since he's the prince of earth."

Usagi frowned. She hoped that she could find a way to see Mamo sometime that night. It felt way too long since she had seen him. Sometimes it was hard to remember that they would have what might be an eternity together. It didn't make being away from him any easier. She wanted to hear his thoughts about this Sailor Earth herself. Mako was right, though. Her mother had never mentioned a Sailor Earth in those few moments she had had with the image of her mother up on the moon. Their conversation had been so short, but surely she would have mentioned if someone was missing. And surely at least one of the scouts—either inner or outer—would remember her.

"Maybe we should ask Setsuna," said Usagi.

"We haven't been able to get in touch with her yet," said Mako. "Or Michiru, or Haruka. They've completely disappeared over the past year."

It was true. They had been so well known prior to ending the war with Galaxia with their musical skills and auto racing. Setsuna hadn't had the same fame that Neptune and Uranus had, but she had at least been someone that Usagi and the others had felt could be counted on in a pinch.

"Ah, well," said Usagi. "We just need to see her." The two of them moved so that they were under a shop's awning. Mako tilted the umbrella since they weren't in any danger of getting wet and Usagi reached for her phone.

 _Mamo, when can I see you?_ She sent, accompanied with an emoticon of a bunny. She kept glancing up at the street and back down at her phone as she waited for him to respond. She felt the vibration of his response in her hand just as she saw the flash of light down at the end of the street where the pavement ended against a dead end.

"No, please no!" cried a female voice. Mako and Usagi ran back to the alleyway they had been in, Mako's umbrella forgotten in that brief moment as Mako pulled out her pen and Usagi grasped her compact.

"Moon Eternal, make up!" cried Usagi.

"Jupiter Crystal Power, make up!" said Mako.

Usagi felt the familiar warmth that came along with her transformation. It had been so long since she had felt the bodysuit against her skin. The rain hit it, dampening the fabric and pulling down at her skirts. Sailor Jupiter headed out of the alleyway first, but Usagi had to be careful as she moved out because of her wings.

"Something is going on south of the arcade," Sailor Jupiter said into her communicator. There was a quick sound of understanding from each of the girls before Sailor Jupiter and Eternal Sailor Moon rushed toward the place that the scream had come from.

There were a few people at the edges of the scene, but even as Jupiter and Sailor Moon came closer, they stepped further away. The screaming had not stopped, and a brilliant blue light surged from the sky and drenched a figure on her knees in front of a storefront. The light blazed like an unquenchable fire before caving in on the young woman. Her body seemed to distort before Sailor Moon's eyes. The light went hazy around her until she was completely obscured.

"Arise, soldier of Chaos," came a deep voice. "Come forth to accept your eternal destiny. You were made for more than an earthly life as a servant to the mortal."

The fog began to clear around the figure. Sailor Moon grasped her Eternal Tiare, ready to begin performing her Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss.

"Careful, Sailor Moon," said Sailor Jupiter. She moved close to Sailor Moon, edging as though prepared to be a barrier.

The girl had disappeared. In her place was a much taller woman with skin as blue as the light that had surrounded her. She looked around the area slowly, her eyebrows knit in a menacing look. Usagi heard the heels of the other scouts click behind her.

"Sailor Mercury?" whispered Sailor Venus.

"I'm on it," said Sailor Mercury. The gentle tap-tap-tap of her fingers on the little super computer reminded Usagi of a thousand battles that they had fought and won before. This would be no different, she told herself.

The figure was changing more by the moment. Her nails grew rapidly and her body hunched before she started toward the scouts.

"Mars Flame Sniper," called out Sailor Mars, jumping in front of them. The heat of her arrow radiated against Sailor Moon's body just before it flew directly at the monster. The monster raised her arm and what looked like several hundred spikes emerged from the limb and wove together like a shield to keep the arrow from hitting her body.

"We have to be careful," said Sailor Moon. She gripped her scepter. "We don't want to hurt her. Mercury, do you have any new data?"

"Just about…"

The scouts stood ready as the monster came closer. She was even still growing taller and more massive. Soon she'd tower over the second story building next to her.

"Get them, Youma!" came a thunderous voice from above. Sailor Moon and the others looked up and saw a man floating above them. His body was covered with a silvery-gray cape that had a band of blue running down the edge. His hair was short and blond. Sailor Moon stared at him, a memory twisting deep inside of her. She felt lost as she looked up, as though if she didn't determine who this person was that he would be doing something terrible.

"Sailor Moon! Sailor Mars!" cried Sailor Jupiter. "Watch out!" The monster was coming close to the two of them. Sailor Moon looked at Sailor Mars. She seemed even more frozen than Sailor Moon felt.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" said Sailor Venus. She whipped the chain of light around the monster and tugged it to try and keep it from getting too close. As valiant as Sailor Venus's efforts were, the monster was still able to get a few more steps. Sailor Moon did the first thing that she could think of—She pushed Sailor Mars out of the way of the path of the monster. Her friends, Mars included, cried out her name as she found herself directly in the path of the monster.

"Thistle Grip!" came an unfamiliar voice. The monster ignored the new speaker, and Sailor Moon couldn't look away to see who it was. A thick vine burst through the ground, splitting just inches above the pavement until it had grasped the monster. The monster cried out, spikes appearing all over it's body as it tried to keep moving toward Sailor Moon, but the vine grew faster than Sailor Moon could comprehend, thick thorns appearing on the outside as the monster became subdued.

"Starlight Moon…" Sailor Moon began. She was too slow, though, because as she started calling out her attack with the tiare, that new voice called out again.

"Terra Redemption!"

The monster shrank, the thorns and vines melting away until the blue light that had surrounded the monster died out, revealing the young girl that had been possessed once again. Sailor Moon hurried over to the girl while the vine laid her out on the ground and then sucked back into the earth. Usagi knelt next to her side in order to cradle her body and make sure that she was okay.

"Wait, Sailor Earth!" cried Sailor Venus. Sailor Moon looked up and saw the scout that they had been hoping to find. She had waist length, dark hair. Her uniform was of varying shades of green. She watched them from the top of a building. "We want to talk to you."

"This isn't the time," said Sailor Earth. She pointed at the man who had been commanding the monster earlier. "You will not torment the people of earth," she said. "In the name of this planet, my birthright, I will protect my world and my people from your evil doings."

"I'd like to see you try," sneered the man. He shot up higher in the air and shot off another blast of blue light at Sailor Earth. She blocked it with her staff. Sailor Moon thought that she was going to try to attack that man, but he vanished into a portal in the air before there was time for her to do anything.

"I want to talk to you," said Sailor Moon, looking up from the body of the girl. She had begun to stir. "Please, are you an ally of ours?"

Sailor Earth stared down at Sailor Moon for so long that Sailor Moon thought that she was going to jump down. Sailor Mercury knelt down next to the girl as well, so Sailor Moon felt that she could stand and give the other scout more attention.

"We could always use another ally, especially if there is a new enemy. I have never heard of a Sailor Earth. But surely we can talk—I want to keep earth safe too."

"I do not need any allies," said Sailor Earth. She paused for a moment and Sailor Moon felt their eyes connect. There was no time for Sailor Moon to reply, Sailor Earth turned and dashed off the building and was gone in a moment.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'd really love some reviews! They mean a lot to me. I'm dealing with a lot of stress in my life right now but knowing that people are reading and enjoying this story would go a long way for me. Thanks! Enjoy!**

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They couldn't say much while they were on the bus on the way to the temple, but Usagi got the feeling that no one really know what to say about what had happened. She had seen Sailor Earth—And that had been their goal. Another person was saved from an enemy. But Usagi didn't like the way that things had gone. A part of her wanted to touch base with Mamo about what had happened, but she didn't even know where to begin. Maybe she'd just have to have him walk her to school tomorrow and they could try to work things out.

"Did you get enough information, Ami?" said Mako as they started up the stairs toward the temple. "The monster kept changing. It wasn't like any of the monsters we've faced before."

"Yes, I did," said Ami. Her voice was even quieter than usual. Usagi glanced at her and saw that Ami was watching Rei's back. "I think we all will have a lot to talk about once we can all sit down." Even though Usagi didn't think that Ami was trying to end the conversation before it began, it seemed to do that. Everyone was quiet as they finished climbing up the steps and finding their usual place in Rei's room. Luna and Artemis were waiting for them. They looked as somber as Ami, who had been the one to contact them to come to the temple to meet with them.

"What did you find, Ami?" asked Minako.

"This is both a new enemy and an old enemy," said Ami. She opened up her miniature computer and brought up the image of the monster and data on it. Mako and Minako studied it carefully. Usagi couldn't really understand all the numbers and diagrams so she passed it on to Rei who took it but didn't look at it. "The monster is made of a new source of energy, one that I'm unfamiliar with. It seems as though the process was an attempted possession that would have rendered the person as a host. The body was clearly being preserved, there wasn't any deconstruction as we had seen in the past with other enemies, such as the Daimons."

"But the old enemy?" asked Luna.

Ami hesitated. "How many of you recognized the man in the cape?"

Usagi slowly raised her hand. Mako and Minako blinked at each other. Rei took a deep breath and raised her hand. Ami nodded. "I was afraid of that," she said. "I did too. It was a buried sort of memory but my computer clearly recognized that man. It was Jadeite."

"Jadeite…" whispered Mako.

"But he was destroyed," said Minako. "All of the four generals were." She clutched one of her wrists. "Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoysite… Kunzite."

"That's what I thought too," said Ami. "But he is back, at least. And so is Zoysite."

"How do you know that?" asked Artemis.

"Because he was at school today," said Ami. Her face was flushed. Minako poured her a glass of water. Ami took it and held the glass tight with both hands. "Jadeite and Zoysite joined our class today as Teiji Itami and Shoji Arata."

"I thought they looked familiar," said Usagi. "But…"

"Does this mean that the same enemy has returned?" asked Rei. Her voice was stern. "Will we be facing Queen Beryl and Metallia again?"

"I don't know," admitted Ami. "They never really integrated into our world before. The monsters are different. There is no telling what could be happening. We need to be prepared for any situation."

"Maybe… Maybe they're getting a second chance," said Usagi. "What if we can help them this time? Maybe we can save them from brainwashing. They have to be brainwashed, right?" She could still remember the pain she'd felt when she'd learned that the four generals had been the former loves of her best friends. She could well remember what it was like to see Mamo in another state of mind. They had been able to save him, but they hadn't saved even one general. "We'll save them this time, I'm sure of it."

"Don't be so sure," said Rei. She got up and walked out the door. Usagi started to stand but Luna tapped her knee with her paw.

"She'll come back soon," said Luna.

"We'll have to figure out what to tell the others," said Mako. "Should we try to contact Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna? I'd feel bad to try and get in touch with them after they have been able to get away just like we have…"

"Has anyone even heard from them in a long time?" asked Minako. "I read that Haruka won a big award for racing a few months ago, but I haven't talked to her."

"Setsuna has been doing some very interesting work regarding physics," said Ami. "But I haven't talked to her. I do know where to get in touch with her. I imagine she knows how to get in touch with the others. And if not, at least we will have been able to start somewhere."

Everyone nodded at the same time. Rei stepped back into the room. Her expression was calm. "It's late," she said. "You can all stay here tonight if you'd like."

Ami decided to go home in order to work on her research about the monster. Mako and Minako decided to stay, though, and Usagi didn't like the idea of heading home so late on her own. She changed into one of Rei's sets of pajamas and cuddled up against a wall with her phone in hand.

 _Mamo, I'm staying at Rei's tonight. Can you pick me up tomorrow and take me to my house and school?_

There was a quick blink with his reply. _Of course, Usa. I was getting worried that you hadn't said anything. Did you find Sailor Earth?_

 _Yes_ , she replied. She tapped her nails against the screen of her phone, deep in thought. She wanted to tell him that the generals were back but she didn't know if that would trouble him, especially not when she couldn't give him all the information over the phone easily. _I'll tell you everything tomorrow. Love you._

 _I love you too_ , he replied.

She tucked her phone under the pillow Rei had provided. Minako and Mako had been whispering to each other on the other side of the room when she'd started texting Mamo, but they were already quiet and she thought she could hear Minako's light snore. Usagi turned on her back and stared up at the ceiling. There was something about Sailor Earth that had made her so sad, she almost reminded her of Sailor Pluto when she guarded the gate of time and space. She seemed so lonely. Haruka and Michiru hadn't wanted to work with the inner scouts at first, but at least they had had each other. She'd have to convince Sailor Earth that they could help her and that together they could get rid of this new enemy—and save Jadeite and Zoysite this time. Nephrite and Kunzite, too, if they had also reappeared.

There was a lot of light in the room, thanks to the sliding paper walls and the full moon. Usagi started to fall asleep as she let the glow of the moon relax her, almost slipping into a full slumber before she saw a dark shadow pass over her. She froze for a moment before getting out of bed with her compact and tip-toeing to the door. She was very careful as she slid the door open, ready to transform at a moment's notice.

Rei was leaning against one of the wood pillars along the wrap around veranda. Her long dark hair was pulled into a loose braid. One arm hugged the pillar and she seemed as lost in the moon as Usagi had been earlier. Usagi didn't dare move at first, but instead just watched as Rei seemed to be lost in her own world. She didn't need to see Rei's face to imagine the look of pain that she had seen on her friend's face earlier that evening. She wished she could say something, but she had a feeling that nothing she could say could make things better.

Usagi was just about to turn around and go back to bed when a choking noise behind her startled her. She made a little squeak and dropped her compact. That noise seemed to frighten Rei so much that she almost fell off the veranda.

"Usagi," she said, turning around with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I just… I thought I saw someone out here. And I think Minako snored so loud that it scared me…" She knelt down to pick up the compact and walked out toward Rei. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," said Rei. "It's just been a long day. Not only was it the first day of school but we also have to deal with a new enemy. And…" She looked away from Usagi. "I knew that things were going to be difficult. I could read that in my divination. But I didn't realize that it was going to be quite like this."

"With… Jadeite?"

Rei closed her eyes and nodded.

"Do you remember him?" asked Usagi.

"It's… fuzzy," said Rei. "Our memories were affected after we defeated Metallia, and so I think that is part of the reason why I can't remember everything. But his voice just resonated within me. I can't explain it. I can remember us…"

"What?" asked Usagi.

"It's silly," said Rei. Usagi took hold of her hands. Rei squeezed them. "We would dance, and often. Even if there wasn't any music except for the song of the birds. He would take hold of me and spin me and…" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Do you think he can remember that?"

"He must," said Usagi. "Deep down."

"What if we can't save him again?"

"We have to believe that we can," said Usagi. "Otherwise we'll never try hard enough. I'm going to do everything I can to save him. To save all of them." Rei opened her eyes and looked at Usagi. A tear dripped down her cheek. "And then you can dance with him again," said Usagi. "And I'll even make sure you have music."

Rei laughed weakly and leaned her head on Usagi's shoulder. "Okay, Usagi," she said. "It just has to be good music."


	6. Chapter 5

Mamo was waiting for her at the foot of the steps. Minako, Mako and Rei had already left for their homes and then school. Usagi was running late, as usual, even though she wasn't even in a place to start getting ready for school.

"Jump in, Usa," said Mamo, holding open the door for her. Once they were buckled in he started the car and headed toward her house. "Did you girls stay up all night?"

"Not quite," said Usagi. She looked out the window and thought about the tears in Rei's eyes. "Um, Mamo, I've got a lot to tell you."

"Right. You saw Sailor Earth?"

"She saved this girl who was a monster. We were trying to but before we could fully understand the situation she was already taking over it. After she defeated it she wouldn't talk with us. We're hoping that we can find her next time too. We need to figure out if she is an ally or not. I mean, she probably is if she's fighting against the enemy as well. Just like you were. But I need to know for sure," said Usagi. She was rambling, and not just on accident. She knew that she was going to have to tell Mamo that the generals from his former life were roaming around—at least, that was to say, two of them.

"I'm glad that the monster got defeated," said Mamo. Usagi spent the next few minutes explaining what she could remember of what Ami had told her about the monster. She ended it with acknowledging the fact that he would probably do well to get more information straight from her because she was certainly likely to mess it up. They pulled up down Usagi's street by the time she was finishing that part of the story.

"I'll be right back," she promised, kissing him on the cheek before dashing in her home to change her clothes and get her things. She had told her parents where she would be the night before, but she didn't want them to see Mamo and think that she had actually been spending the night at his place. She had brushed her hair at Rei's, but she still had a bit of trouble getting her odango to go the way that they should. With her bag on one arm, and her lunch stuck under her other arm, she somehow managed to balance her way out of the house while putting on her compact.

"That was surprisingly fast," said Mamo as she slid back into the car. She laughed weakly, moving her bag and lunch onto her lap. She squeezed the handle of her bookbag as Mamo started the car off toward her school. "So, was there more you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes," said Usagi. "It's just…"

"Just what?" asked Mamo, glancing at her from behind his shades. "Everything okay?"

"Jadeite and Zoisite are back," said Usagi. "Maybe Nephrite and Kunzite too."

Mamoru looked at the road again, but Usagi could see that he was gripping the wheel tighter. "That's impossible," he said. "They were destroyed by Metallia."

"We don't know how or why, but Ami says that it was definitely Jadeite that we were dealing with last night. And Ami was pretty sure that Zoisite was at our school too."

"At your school?" Usagi could tell that she was confusing him. He glanced at the clock and sighed. "I wish there was time to pull over and get the whole story from you. Maybe we should have led with this part…"

"But then we never would have talked about the rest," said Usagi.

"That's true," said Mamoru. "We've got a few more minutes."

"We had new students yesterday. Two of them were probably Jadeite and Zoisite. They were called Teiji and Shoji. Ami said that Shoji looked familiar to her…" And of course, he would. Zoisite had been her love. "But she didn't think too much of it until she saw Jadeite with the monster and her comptuter confirmed it. Now we have to figure out what to do about it. We're going to have a meeting at the Crown cafe this afternoon, I think. I'll let you know for sure." They were pulling up along the curb.

"Okay," said Mamo. He put the car in park and grabbed one of her hands as he leaned in for a kiss. She was glad to be close to him again. It was funny—That morning had been the first time that they had seen each other for a few weeks, and yet it had been almost as though nothing had happened. Even now, it just felt so good and right. Just like it had been meant to be for millennium. "I love you, Usa."

"I love you too, Mamo." Usagi slipped out of the car, waving at Mamoru as she started on the sidewalk. She beamed as she saw his car disappear down another street before reminding herself that she needed to get moving if she didn't want to get detention. If they had a meeting at the Crown cafe then she needed to be able to get off on time.

"Um, excuse me," said a quiet voice. Usagi turned and saw Sayuri, the new student, standing awkwardly on the steps. "We're in the same class, aren't we? You're Usagi Tsukino?"

"Yes, I am," said Usagi. She beamed.

"I can't remember how to get to our class."

"Oh, I'll show you," said Usagi. She linked her arm with Sayuri's and started rushing the dark haired girl toward the stairs that would take them up to the third floor classroom. "I know how it is getting lost places. The first few days I went to this school I got mixed up… But after that I've been able to figure out how to get around everywhere. I even know where the best snack machines are. I'll have to tell you that sometime if you want to know."

"Oh, thank you," said Sayuri, looking surprised. They weren't the only ones in the stairwells. Usagi and Sayuri had be to careful not to bump into anyone. "That would be very nice of you." Usagi wasn't sure if the new student was trying to be polite or not, but she decided that it didn't really matter. She went on about Crown arcade which was nearby, and other good places for snacks after school. It wasn't until they were nearing the classroom and she saw the other new students—Teiji and Shoji… Or perhaps Jadeite and Zoisite—speaking to each other outside the classroom, leaning against one of the large windows. Usagi found that it was hard to keep talking as she saw the young men lost in their conversation. She watched them, wondering if they would look back at her. They ignored her, though, and Usagi felt as though she hadn't known that they were former enemies that she never would have thought that they were anything but normal students.

Ami, Minako, and Mako were waiting in the classroom when she came in with Sayuri. She let the new student go and went to stand next to her friends. "Did you see them?" Mako asked quietly, once Sayuri had moved past them.

Usagi nodded. "Do you sense anything?" she asked.

The three girls shook their head. Ami held up the little computer and typed a few things into it. "I'm getting a very similar reading that I got last night when Teiji was controlling the monster. But it's not quite the same."

"That's good news, right?" said Usagi. Ami shrugged.

"Maybe," said Minako. "There are just so many questions that have to be answered."

The teacher came in and there wasn't any time for them to keep discussing what they were going to do. Throughout their brief breaks, the four girls worked to figure out how they could work together this next day. Ami got in touch with Setsuna who promised that she would get Haruka and Michiru to the cafe that afternoon. Usagi got a confirmation from Mamoru. Rei kept checking in with Usagi—and Minako, Mako, and Ami, they all realized, asking innocuous questions. They all seemed to know, even if none of them said anything, that this had to be about Teiji. Usagi found it hard not to keep looking at him and wondering what was going on in his head. He and Shoji were friendly with each other. Perhaps they were just friendly because they were both new students, but perhaps they were talking to each other because they were working at hatching a plan.

"We'll have to watch the school very closely," said Mako. "Maybe we can have Luna and Artemis patrol… We might have to have some of us here instead of us the Crown area. If they're this close by…"

"And Kunzite and Nephrite could be lurking somewhere," said Minako. She twisted her lips into a frustrated pout as Mako gave a reluctant nod of agreement. "We still don't even know if they're around at all."

"We'll work it out," said Usagi. "And we'll work with Sailor Earth."

"That's a whole other problem," said Mako. "She really doesn't seem to want to work with us."

"Neither did other allies," said Usagi. "Haruka, Michiru… And the Star Lights. But we worked together in the end and were able to save everyone." None of the other girls said anything. Usagi knew that she was right, and she hoped that they agreed that she was. Still, she had been told that she could be naive time and again. But that didn't matter to Usagi. She'd only seen Sailor Earth once. There was no reason for her to keep from trying to reach out to her again. "We might even see her tonight," she said confidently.

"You're right," said Ami. "We won't let up hope, Usagi." Usagi looked over at Ami with a smile, but Ami was glancing off in the distance—as she seemed to always be doing of late. Usagi followed where it seemed that Ami was looking. She couldn't quite make out who was standing at the bench in the distance, but they were wearing male uniforms and it only stood to reason that one of them would be Shoji.

"We'll meet at 5 o'clock," said Ami after a pause. "I have computer club and I know Minako has a dance class."

Minako made a v-sign for victory with a wink, earning a weak laugh from all of them as the lunch bell rang. She picked up her phone. "Rei," she said with a sad smile. "Everyone say cheese!" She snapped a quick selfie of the four of them to send to her. Usagi had never really thought about how hard it must be for Rei to have to go to another school. She'd have to be extra nice to her friend today. She'd even buy her a drink if she had enough allowance.


End file.
